The Circle of Fifths

~~Lord Larehip~~ · 12-14-2013, 10:33 AM

Is the star a coincidence? Let’s see if it works with the Chinese pentatonic scale. This scale is generated by starting with the note called gong which drops a 4th to zhi which rises a fifth to shang then drops a fourth to yu then rises a fifth to jue. From lowest to highest, the notes are zhi, yu, gong, shang and jue.

Now, make a circle and space these notes out equally along the perimeter (72 degrees apart) in the order of their generation--gong, zhi, shang, yu and jue--and connect them with lines in order going from lowest note to highest--zhi, yu, gong, shang and jue. What geometrical figure do you get? This one:

Or we can reverse the layout and mark the perimeter of the circle with the notes in order from lowest to highest and connect them with lines in the order of their generation and we will get the identical pentagram again.

12-14-2013, 10:33 AM	#19 (permalink)
~~Lord Larehip~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 899	Is the star a coincidence? Let’s see if it works with the Chinese pentatonic scale. This scale is generated by starting with the note called gong which drops a 4th to zhi which rises a fifth to shang then drops a fourth to yu then rises a fifth to jue. From lowest to highest, the notes are zhi, yu, gong, shang and jue. Now, make a circle and space these notes out equally along the perimeter (72 degrees apart) in the order of their generation--gong, zhi, shang, yu and jue--and connect them with lines in order going from lowest note to highest--zhi, yu, gong, shang and jue. What geometrical figure do you get? This one: Or we can reverse the layout and mark the perimeter of the circle with the notes in order from lowest to highest and connect them with lines in the order of their generation and we will get the identical pentagram again.